Universe

Hello, blogosphere! I apologize for updating much later than I normally do. I was struggling to come up with a decent topic until late last night (or this morning, depending), but by then, I was much too tired to even consider blogging.

I suppose, before I begin, the obligatory Christmas update is necessary. I had a pretty decent time myself – I had dinner with some of my extended family and survived the barrage of questions about my time in college thus far. After returning home for a nap, I spent the entire evening with a cup or two of eggnog and all of the cartoon holiday specials I could find online.

I will say that this Christmas had a different significance to me than the past few have. It wasn't just because I actually had the chance to go out and celebrate, either. My "new heart", so to speak, provided for me a new meaning to the holiday. I'd always acknowledged that Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus, but this year was probably the first that I'd truly come to celebrate as well.

In short, I was really content this Christmas. But now that the holiday is over, it's time to put the tinsel and ribbons away and get started on this post!

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I mentioned something about cartoons before. Yes, even as an eighteen-year-old college freshman, I will admit that I enjoy cartoons. 

Sadly, the overall quality of cartoons has greatly diminished since the days of my childhood. Lazy writing and animation that crews use because they assume children won't know the difference, fast-paced scenes that can be a little hard to follow at times, and and blatantly stupid humor for the sake of trying to be "LOL SO RANDOM" are all abundant in the worst way. 

Yet every so often, there comes a new cartoon that breaks this mold and appeals to not only children but people outside of the demographic (such as myself) as well. I may or may not have binge-watched this series yesterday, so I felt my need to share with all of you!

Steven Universe, pre-redesign

Steven Universe is a Cartoon Network series created by former Adventure Time storyboard artist/writer/composer Rebecca Sugar. 

Now, almost everyone saw Adventure Time as a typical kids' show at first glance – I mean, who would assume anything more when the plot's focus is on a boy and his magical dog? However, as the plot and characters developed, older viewers began to notice that there was much more to the show than Finn and Jake's antics in the Land of Ooo. I won't spoil it for anyone, so in order to figure out what I mean, you're going to have to watch for yourself. ;)

With Sugar taking the position of head honcho, I have no doubt that Steven Universe will no doubt do the same. Sadly, with only seven eleven-minute episodes released since the premiere in early November, only time will tell whether the prediction will come true.

Steven Universe, post-redesign

The plot involves the protection of the world by four intergalactic warriors collectively known as the Crystal Gems: Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven.

The origin of the group's name derives from the special gemstones embedded in every member's body. These gems give special abilities such as the summoning of a weapon and shapeshifting, among other, more specialized powers.

The Gems have taken on the roles of older siblings, mentors, and maternal figures to Steven while he learns how to use his powers and live together in a combination house and magical crystal temple in Beach City.

The show's eponymous character is the youngest and only male member of the Crystal Gems on Earth. He was born to Greg Universe and Rose Quartz, a former member of the Gems who gave up her physical form to give birth to Steven. She passed on her gemstone, a rose quartz, to Steven, thus giving him the powers of a Gem. This gem is embedded in his belly button and summons a shield (although he has yet to figure out how to summon it at will).

He is a happy-go-lucky boy, eager to prove his worth as a Crystal Gem. He has yet to master any magical abilities, and the ones he has learned have thus far landed him in sticky situations. Like many children, he tries to solve problems that he comes across himself before seeking help, but makes up for his trouble-making by remaining optimistic and confident in himself.

The biggest mystery that surrounds Steven lies in his means of summoning his magical powers. In 1x01, "Cookie Cat", he believes that eating his favorite ice cream is the answer, although he is soon proven wrong. In 1x07, "Bubble Buddies", however, he inadvertently summons a crystal bubble when saving his friend/love interest, Connie from being crushed by a falling rock. Fans speculate that love, or maybe any strong positive emotion, is the key.

Garnet is the unofficial leader of the Crystal Gems. Her gems are garnets that are embedded in the palms of her hands. She uses them to summon a pair of gauntlets that she wears more often than not. She also has psychokinetic abilities and can sense the structural integrity of structures just by looking at them.

She is a strong, stoic woman that Steven looks up to as a mentor. She seems to have much more faith in Steven's ideas than the other Gems do, and she protects him from Pearl and Amethyst's constant bickering.

It should also be noted that because of her position, the other Gems don't treat her as they do each other. Pearl isn't as condescending to Garnet as she is to others, and Amethyst doesn't mind taking orders from Garnet as she does from anyone else.

Amethyst is considered the comic relief of the Crystal Gems. Her gem is an amethyst embedded in her chest that she uses to summon an energy whip.

She is the loudest and most care-free of the Gems. She doesn't have very good manners and prefers to be messy, making her the least likely to be a good role model to Steven. However, she does tend to partake in different activities with him more and enjoys roughhousing with him.

She's also very indulgent – she doesn't have to eat or sleep, yet she does just because she likes to.

Pearl is the mental powerhouse of the Crystal Gems whose gem is a pearl embedded in her forehead. She uses it to summon a a magic spear and can conjure holographic images with it, and she is seen to collect swords as well.

She is quite graceful, controlled, and a perfectionist. She puts an extensive amount of thought and reason into her plans, which results in her getting flustered when her plans don't go perfectly. She can also be condescending at times when she thinks her plans are better than someone else's (usually Amethyst's).

She is the most motherly of the Gems, making sure that Steven doesn't get into any trouble and is deeply concerned for his safety. 

The best thing about this show to me is that it has broken so many molds that its predecessors have created. Steven Universe is the first Cartoon Network series that features a female as its main creator. Animation has been a sexually-segregated industry for so long, and aside from a few exceptions in the past (although they're far and few between), men have dominated this particular realm of entertainment... But luckily, things are changing for the better, by the look of it!

Speaking of gender norms, Cartoon Network probably raised a few eyebrows when this show premiered because it has been notorious for its desire to lure boys to the network with a plethora of superhero and science-fiction shows.  However, it seems that this show has broken down the barrier between masculine and feminine. There are plenty of monsters and action scenes to appeal to the boys, but the emotional notes that strike the viewers so delicately in scenes such as Steven's bonding with his single father appeal to the girls as well. All of this is wrapped up in an aesthetically-pleasing environment that is reminiscent of a vintage video game and tied with a bow of whimsical fun.

In addition, the characters themselves are very diverse in terms of appearance. All three of the Crystal Gems have distinct character designs with different body types, skin colors, and facial features. The representation of female characters that aren't thin, white, and conventionally attractive here is slowly becoming more common in media today, and it's nice to see that children of this generation are going to be able to see that it's okay to be different – that you can still kick serious butt if you don't look like everyone else!

I can't say I have any complaints about the show as of right now, but when it continues its run in January, I'll be more than happy to discuss them. Until next year! ... Literally, since it actually will be 2014 next week. Whoa.

- Sara